We explore and educate the students as to the many facets of stage and screen performance. Our program is not just for actors and comedians, as it benefits those who want to hone their public speaking and communication skills as well. Past students include courtroom lawyers, office managers and corporate executives. We´ll teach you how professionals deal with stage fright, cope with nerves and relate to the audience. We show you how to audition effectively and nail on-camera techniques that will help you in developing your personal style.
PERFORMANCE, Lectures & Theory - Our staff will shed light on how acting professionals perform for the camera and on stage. You´ll learn how to market yourself, audition effectively and the steps needed to secure an agent. We´ll show you how actors use improv skills to enhance their performances and how stand-ups can use their stage time to generate hype and showcase opportunities for casting agents and directors. Lectures also cover performance history, theory and the evolution of methods.
PERFORMANCE, Hands-On - By applying the theories learned through our lectures, you´ll hone your skills as a performer. Performance students will interpret material created by fellow Academy360 participants. Character development, memorization, blocking and performance techniques for the camera will be explored as well as auditioning and marketing tips. Class members and instructors will critique students who are in preparation for their final class performance.
PERFORMANCE, Class Performance - The final class performance will be a collaboration between writing and filmmaking students. Performance students will present material created by writing students that will be captured live on stage by Academy360 filmmaking students. Final performances will be professionally recorded and reproduced on DVD.
Performance curriculum focus: STAND-UP, IMPROV & ACTING
Students learn the basics of stand-up as well as advanced techniques that will help any actor or performer excel in their preferred arena. Our stand-up crash course will give you the same experience you´d receive from doing a year of open mics. We´ll show you how to develop an idea into a well-structured bit. We´ll show you how to assemble your bits into a routine, then guide you through assembling your material into an act that can potentially launch a career. We explain how to relate to an audience, deal with hecklers and overcome stage fright and nerves. We´ll walk you through the development of your material for open mics and one-nighters.
We´ll discuss the basic techniques of improvisation from theatre games to the advanced methods used by Second City and The Herald. You´ll utilize these fundamentals to create and write material and apply those skills to becoming a well-trained improv/sketch performer. You´ll not only hone your skills as an improvisor, but you´ll also learn how to apply these talents to related creative processes. Through improv, you´ll learn how to build confidence, overcome creative blocks, and enhance your acting performances.
Academy360 will show you the subtleties of sketch vs. improv and stage vs. screen. You´ll learn techniques for character development, interpretation of material as well as staging and blocking. We´ll teach you on-camera performance techniques such as pacing secrets that will help you maintain continuity. We provide acting tips for all mediums from shorts to vignettes to features and sketches.
